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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29983743">Wishful Thinking (Sebastian x Reader)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Russia001/pseuds/Russia001'>Russia001</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stardew Valley (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Reader-Insert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:41:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29983743</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Russia001/pseuds/Russia001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You abandon the life you knew as a corporate drone and escape to your grandfather's old farm in Pelican Town. You have hope for the future and a relief from the doubt in yourself that Joja instilled in you. But.. What now?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sebastian/Female Player (Stardew Valley)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Breaking Free</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You sit at your desk, blankly staring at the screen in front of you. Working for Joja seemed like it would benefit you- you would get to use your degree, meet new people, make a stable income, have decent benefits. So, you applied for product development. What you didn’t know is that the “research” part of R&amp;D was intentionally left out of the job title. In reality, you were sitting in a room with about a hundred other employees doing the same thing as you, repeatedly testing new Joja Cola formulations and filling out surveys for hours on end. <br/>	Another sip from a two-ounce plastic cup, another wince, the aftertaste of the artificial sweetener was still way too strong in the new diet Joja. You select “dissatisfied” and the next screen pops up: “Why?” <br/>	“Because I’m stuck in a joyless position with a lying company that tricked me into long-term internal market research.” You mumble as you type. “The aspartame in this drink was too apparent. The aftertaste is unpleasant and-“ you stop typing. Glancing to your right, you can see the letter your grandfather gave you while on his deathbed. “And it makes me unhappy. No one should be stuck somewhere that they’re unhappy.” You grab the letter, the parchment in your hands feels soft and almost warm. You broke the wax seal and opened the letter-<br/>“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.”<br/>       Enclosed was a deed to a property in Stardew Valley’s Pelican Town. It was the deed to your grandfather’s old farm. With newfound hope you continued typing. “Consider this my final product review and my final notice. I will not be returning to Joja. I wish the best for you and your joyless future. Sincerely, [Y/N].” You submitted the review, and your heart skipped a beat. In all your years wasted at the Joja Corporation, you had never felt such relief. <br/>       You packed up your desk and left immediately for the bus stop outside the looming tower you worked in, heading straight to your apartment. When you shut the door, you immediately fell to the ground, clutching your grandfather’s letter. Taking out your phone, you dialed you father’s number.<br/>      “Hey sweety, what’s up?” Your dad’s voice was calm, happy to see you were calling. “You just want to chat with your dear old dad on your lunch break?”<br/>       “Hey dad, I just- I just quit.”<br/>       “You quit? What’s wrong?” You guessed he wasn’t surprised. He knew you didn’t like your job, but the benefits kept you there. <br/>       “I finally opened that letter Grandpa gave me. He left me his old farm, I think I’m leaving tonight.” Your adrenaline from leaving Joja was starting to wear off, but you knew that you couldn’t go back to that place.<br/>       Your dad didn’t respond for a second. “I always wondered what he ended up doing with that old place. I always assumed that he just gifted it to Lewis. If this is what you want to do, I’m going to support you.”<br/>       You began to thank him but he interrupted you. “Don’t you worry about anything. Go pack yourself a bag and get to the bus stop before they stop running. I’ll go ahead and call Lewis so he can meet you at the bus stop when you get there. Okay [Y/N]?”<br/>       “Thank you dad. I love you.”<br/>       “I love you too sweety. Make sure you write me every once and awhile, you hear? I don’t want to hear everything about you from the paper.” Your dad’s support gave you a new confidence.<br/>       You hung up the phone and packed your essentials in your small backpack, heading for the bus stop. <br/>       “Last bus to Stardew Valley, last call.” You heard the loudspeaker drone at the station. <br/>       You ran to the bus, hopping on just as the doors were about to close. <br/>       “Just made it kid, lucky you!” The bus driver cheered as you let out a sigh of relief. “Take a seat and get comfortable.”<br/>       You sat down and fidgeted with your bag. The letter from your grandfather had a special place in the front pocket. You took it out and read it again, over and over until you heard the bus driver interrupting your thoughts. <br/>       “Pelican Town here we are! Looks like you got some family waitin’ on ya!”<br/>       You looked out the window, a woman with red hair was waiting there. You didn’t really recognize her, but you were strangely comforted by her presence. When you got off the bus, you could see the excitement in her eyes. <br/>       “Hello! You must be [Y/N]!” She smiled. “I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He’s there right now, tidying things up for your arrival.”<br/>       “Oh! Yes thank you! It’s very nice to meet you Robin!” You shook her hand and smiled back. You knew the Valley had some welcoming folk, but you never expected this level of hospitality.<br/>       “The farm’s right over here, if you’ll follow me.” She led the way to the farm, which was a short walk from the bus stop. “Right here is Clover Farm.”<br/>       You knew that if you had the deed, no one was taking care of the property, but this seemed extreme. Trees, rocks, debris… It looked like a hundred storms had ravaged your grandfather’s old farm. The shock must have been written all over your face, because Robin spoke up again.<br/>       “What’s the matter? Sure, it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s some good soil underneath that mess! With a little dedication, you’ll have it cleaned up in no time.” Her smile gave you hope.<br/>       “I knew that it wasn’t going to be a fresh farm, but I’m ready for the work.” You sighed. “Is this the old cabin?”<br/>       “Yes! Right, here we are, your new home.” <br/>       Before Robin could say anything else, an older gentleman stepped out of the cabin. He smiled when he saw you. “Ah, the new farmer!” He handed you the key to the cabin. “Welcome! I’m Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town.”<br/>       “Mayor Lewis! I’m glad to finally meet you, my parents have told me a lot about you!” You took the key and turned to him as he spoke. <br/>       “All good things I hope! You know, since your father called me, everyone’s been asking about you! It’s not every day that someone new moves in. It’s quite a big deal!”<br/>       “Well, I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations!” You chuckled a bit nervously. Day one and you’re already the talk of the town.<br/>       Lewis turned back to the cabin, a longing for old times hung in his gaze. “So… You’re moving into your grandfather’s old cottage. It’s a good house.” He paused. “Very ‘rustic’.”<br/>       “Rustic? That’s one way to put it.” Robin chimed in.<br/>       “I can see the.. charm.” You said, seeing where the years had been hard on this little cottage. <br/>       “Hm, ‘crusty’ might be a little more apt though.” Robin laughed.<br/>       “Rude!” Lewis swung to face you again. “Don’t listen to her, [Y/N]. She’s just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades.”<br/>       You smiled and whispered to Robin, “I might have to take you up on one of those.” She stifled a giggle and Lewis continued to speak.<br/>       “Anyway, you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest.” Lewis started to smile again. “Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself, the townspeople would appreciate that.”<br/>       He began to walk away, then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot. If you have anything to sell, just place it in this box here. I’ll come by during the night to collect it. Well, Good luck!”<br/>       Lewis and Robin both left you to your new home. With the sun setting in the distance, you decided to go inside. The cabin was plain, but larger than your apartment in Zuzu. It was a one room cabin, no kitchen, with the bed in the corner. “Just like Grandpa.” You chuckled to yourself. <br/>       You set down your bag and sat down on the bed, which was surprisingly plush. A set of tools were set neatly against the wall, and a small package was set in the center of the room. You decided to open the package when there was more light, since there was no central source of light in the cabin. Checking your phone, you realized that you had no cell reception in the Valley. “Ah, shit.” You said, falling back onto the bed. <br/>       “I guess this is why dad wanted me to write him letters.” You mumbled as you fell asleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A New Dawn, A New Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Your first day in Pelican Town with your new life</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You woke up to sunlight shining through the windows of the old cabin. You could still see the pinks and oranges of the sunrise dancing in the sky, it couldn't have been any later than 6am. Picking yourself up out of bed, you strolled over to the package left for you in the center of the room. Mayor Lewis had left you 15 parsnip seeds. </p><p>"What a sweet old guy he is." you thought to yourself. </p><p>You collected all of your new tools and decided to get to work. You cleared the small patch of land in front of the cabin, then planted your new seeds. Wiping the sweat from your brow, you pondered what you should do next. Lewis did say that the townspeople all wanted to meet you, so you decided to venture off the farm. You walked back to the bus stop and saw a small wooden sign pointing you in the direction of Pelican Town.</p><p>You followed the dirt path to the center of town. There was a small plaza, but a majority of the buildings there seemed to be houses. You walked up to a store front that had a huge sign, it read "Pierre's". Recognizing the name from the seed packets Lewis gifted you, you decided to head inside. </p><p>As you opened the door, a man at the counter called out to you. "Hey, it's [Y/N], the new farmer! I'm Pierre, owner of the local general store. If you're looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go. I'll also buy produce from you for a good price!"</p><p>"I'll keep that in mind, thank you!" You walked up to the counter. "I don't have much, but I would like to get my little farm going. What do you recommend?" </p><p>"Ah, of course! Let me show you our seed collection. We have saplings as well, but I expect you'll be waiting to purchase those." He took you over to a rack that had a small collection of seeds. "Here we have parsnips, potatoes, cauliflower, beans... Ah, well I'll just let you take a look." </p><p>"Thank you sir!" You took a look at the shelf. Spring crops weren't really your favorite, but he did have a decent selection. </p><p>"No need to thank me- oh! Hello Gus! Back for more flour?"</p><p>Another man entered the store. He was shorter and looked kind. "And sugar! Can't get your yeast going without a little something sweet." He noticed you and walked over to introduce himself. "Well hello there! I'm Gus, chef and owner of the Stardrop Saloon. Pleasure to meet you young lady."</p><p>"The pleasure is all mine sir-"</p><p>"No need for the formalities, just call me Gus!" He smiled.</p><p>"Oh- of course! I'll have to drop by the saloon sometime to try that bread you must be making!" </p><p>"Bread and pizza! But what's even better is getting to spend time with the rest of the town." He put a hand on the back of his head.</p><p>"Oh now don't be so modest, Gus!" Pierre laughed. "With my quality ingredients and your expert cooking, you can't find any better food in Stardew Valley! Even just his marinara is to die for, [Y/N]"</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I try my best!" Gus looked like he hadn't had his food praised like that in awhile. "If you'd like to swing by, Friday is when everyone meets up in my old saloon. It'd be a great time to catch everyone in one place."</p><p>"Thank you Gus, Pierre. I'll stop by soon, but right now-" You trailed off and looked back at the seeds on the rack beside you. "Pierre, could I get a couple cauliflower and potato seeds?"</p><p>"Of course! Maybe some Kale seeds as well?" Pierre stared at you, hoping his upsell would take.</p><p>"Unfortunately not today. Funds are tight right now.." You saw his smile falter a bit. "But don't you worry, I'll be back for more before you know it!"</p><p>With that, Pierre cleaned out your wallet with a smile. "See you back soon!" He called out to you as you left.</p><p>With a heavy sigh, you left the general store. As soon as you stepped out, however, a woman stopped you. </p><p>"Ah, Mayor Lewis told me you just arrived. I'm Marnie!" She smiled at you. </p><p>"Hello Marnie!" You were starting to catch on, this town isn't as formal as the city. "I'm excited to be here!"</p><p>"Good, good! I live in the ranch right below yours, so if you ever need any help, just give me a visit!" She put a hand on your shoulder before heading into Pierre's.</p><p>Watching the glass door close, you looked around for any other new faces. You saw someone with a gridball beside the neighboring house. When you made eye contact, he looked you up and down. "Hey, you're the new girl, huh? I think we're going to get along great. I'm Alex."</p><p>You walked over to him and introduced yourself. "I'm [Y/N], nice to meet you!" You held out a hand for him to shake, but he just kept smiling at you. "Well, ah, I guess I'll just get going." You walked back to the town center and saw a girl sitting beneath a tree with hair as red as Robin's.</p><p>"Hi, I'm [Y/N]! I just moved in." You walked up behind her.</p><p>"Oh." She looked back at you. "Hello! I'm Penny..." She smiled awkwardly at you then went back to reading her book. </p><p>You decided to respect her space and walked back over to your farm. With No one else out on the streets and no more money in your pocket, it was probably a wise decision. After planting your new seeds, you walked around your property. </p><p>You saw a small empty cave, a broken down greenhouse, a small pond, and a small stone shrine. "This must be where they buried Grandpa." You said to yourself. You weren't there for his funeral, but you knew he was very attached to this farm, so it would make sense that it was his final resting place. You noticed a small note on the shrine.</p><p>"Wait for my return on the dawn of your third year. -Grandpa"</p><p>You chuckled. Your grandfather always said he would watch over you, "as a ghost or an angel, I'll always make sure you're okay." He would tell you. You placed this new note with the other one in your backpack and decided to explore the trails leading off your property. </p><p>"A walk through the mountains could do me some good." You thought as you traveled north. Before long, you came across a small clearing. A large house stood on a terraced piece on land. Upon further inspection, you noticed a sign above the door with a hand saw. "This must be Robin's!" </p><p>As you walked up, a girl opened the door. "Oh! Aren't you the one who just moved in?" She smiled. "I'm Maru. I've been looking forward to meeting you!"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm [Y/N]!" You appreciated how outgoing Maru was compared to the other two people in town who seemed to be your age. </p><p>"I'm headed out now, but make sure you come back soon!" Maru looked back at you as she walked away. "Oh! And I also work with Harvey at the clinic, so if you can't find me here at home, I'm probably there!"</p><p>"Okay! Thank you!" You waved at her as she hurried off. You figured that the clinic must be the building next to Pierre's. </p><p>You stepped into Robin's and she called you over from the counter, "Hi there!"</p><p>"Hey Robin! I was just exploring today and figured I'd stop in and thank you for yesterday." You tightened your ponytail then leaned on the counter between you. "It was really nice seeing a friendly face when I was getting off that bus."</p><p>"It was no problem! I like meeting new people, it doesn't happen too often around here!" Robin laughed. "Have you gotten to meet everyone in town yet? That sounds exhausting."</p><p>"Not yet! Not everyone was out today, but I did get to see some people when I went to Pierre's! Everyone seems really nice so far." </p><p>"That's great honey! Hey- I know that old cabin doesn't have a kitchen. Would you like to join my family for dinner tonight? It'll give you a chance to meet my husband Demetrius, and I'm sure my son would join us if he knew we had a guest!" </p><p>You smiled. "That sounds great, actually! I couldn't even tell you when the last time I had a good home-cooked meal was." </p><p>"Tonight is just going to be mushroom stew, I hope you don't mind. Stop back at five, I'll have Demetrius set an extra spot at the table for you." She paused. "He's actually in his lab right over there if you want to go say hello first!"</p><p>"Okay! I'll see you then Robin, thank you again!" You smiled and ventured into the lab. </p><p>This was the kind of place you wanted to see when you went to work for Joja. Sterile equipment, clean walls, bright lights, a much better atmosphere than that dark desk you got stuck with. "Uh, hello! I'm [Y/N], nice to meet you!"</p><p>"Greetings! I'm Demetrius, local scientist and father. Thank you for introducing yourself!" Demetrius spoke as he worked, writing notes on a clipboard.</p><p>"What sort of research are you doing?" You asked, peeking over his shoulder.</p><p>"I study the local plants and animals from my home laboratory." He turned to face you, obviously excited that someone was taking an interest in his work. "I also dabble in some geology."</p><p>"So environmental sciences! Exciting! I studied food science myself." You looked around again. "Your lab is really impressive for a home lab."</p><p>"It's nothing special, just what I need to keep old Joja in check around here!" He laughed. "Someone has to monitor how their activity affects the local environment."</p><p>"Ah, well I'm sure glad I cut my ties with them." You sighed. </p><p>"Oh? Is that where you were working before coming to the valley?"</p><p>"Unfortunately. I interviewed for research and development, but got stuck in market testing." You smiled a bit awkwardly. "They haven't done any damage around here have they?"</p><p>"Well, they caused a landslide blocking off the old mines, but I suppose they sent someone over to clean it up. They really are making sure they take their time though." He chuckled at your awkwardness. "If you know your way around the lab, I'd love for you to help my daughter and I with some experiments sometime."</p><p>"Absolutely!" You were pretty excited at the thought of getting to do some work in a lab after all those years behind a desk. "The farm will have to come first, but I'd love the opportunity to help out! Just let me know."</p><p>"Of course! It's always good to have an extra pair of hands around to help out." </p><p>You chatted with Demetrius a bit more about his experiments, when the machine on the counter beeped.</p><p>"Oh! My sample is ready!" He pressed a couple of buttons on the machine then turned back to you. "I'll have to let you go for now, but I look forward to seeing you soon! I overheard Robin inviting you to dinner, so I'll see you then!"</p><p>"Yes, of course!" You left Robins and walked around outside her property. As you walked over to the river, you saw a man who looked almost frightened by your presence.</p><p>"A stranger?" He looked away. "Hello." The man walked away, leaving you by the river. </p><p>"Hello!" You called after him, but he kept walking. You assumed he was out here in order to avoid the town, so you didn't press for further conversation. </p><p>You sat down by the water, taking in the scenery. You could see the landslide Demetrius told you about, as well as a building on the other side of the lake. You sat for awhile, contemplating what your next move might be while appreciating the sounds of nature around you. Before long, you could sense someone coming up behind you. You turned around to see a young man taking out a cigarette.</p><p>"Oh." He offered his pack to you and you decided to take him up on his offer. </p><p>"Thanks. I haven't had one of these in awhile." He lit both of your cigarettes and you were both silent for while. </p><p>"You just moved in, right?" He asked, breaking the silence.</p><p>"Yeah, I moved into the cabin on my grandfather's old farm. It's just south of here." You looked up at him. He was staring down at you, but his gaze didn't make you uncomfortable.</p><p>"Cool." He scoffed a bit, "Out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town?"</p><p>You smiled at him. "Well, the corporate life just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Joja just... let's just say I didn't fit in there."</p><p>He nodded. "To each their own I guess." </p><p>You both finished your smokes without saying anything else. You weren't quite sure how to fill the silence, so you just let it be. Luckily, it didn't feel as awkward as it should. </p><p>"Well, I guess you would be the one my mother invited over for dinner. You ready to head inside?" He looked back at you while he started walking back to Robin's house.</p><p>You checked the time, it was almost five. "Yeah! Thank you."</p><p>"Mhm." He nodded again as you followed him back inside. </p><p>"Oh! [Y/N], Sebastian! I'm glad you two met!" Robin smiled as you entered her kitchen. </p><p>"You really do have a lovely home Robin!" </p><p>"You could have one just like it if you ask!" Demetrius chimed in, coming into the room with an extra chair. "Please, sit down, make yourself at home!"</p><p>"Oh I'm sure she isn't ready for something like that just yet." Robin laughed. "Maybe just a kitchen and a bedroom to start off. When you're ready, of course."</p><p>"I will be coming for that offer as soon as I can." You laughed as you sat down where Demetrius set a chair for you. </p><p>Sebastian sat down next to you, glancing over as he did so. You smiled at him as he looked down. </p><p>"I'm home!" You heard Maru shout as she hurried into the kitchen. She washed her hands and sat down across from Sebastian. "[Y/N], glad to see you here! did my mom invite you for dinner?"</p><p>"Well, we all know it wasn't Sebby." Robin joked as she walked over to the table with a pot of stew, you noticed that made Sebastian's face turn red. She set it down on a pot holder and took her own place at the table. "Now that everyone is here, dig in!" </p><p>You all chatted while you ate. Demetrius asked more about your studies, while Maru stared at you in awe. </p><p>"I can't believe our luck!" She was almost bouncing. "Another scientist in town. Amazing!"</p><p>"I'd hardly call myself a scientist." You admitted. "I haven't done any lab work since college. But, I do want to know more about you all!"</p><p>"Well, I already told you that I work over at the clinic, I also help my dad with his experiments." Maru explained. "Sebastian does some work at his computer, but, you know." She giggled and Sebastian turned red again.</p><p>"That's my daughter for you, such an overachiever!" Demetrius laughed. </p><p>You wondered if they were always like this with Sebastian.</p><p>"Well, you know, computer work is important too!" You tried to keep it light while defending him. "I know that all I did was basically fill out surveys for Joja, but without it, you'd all get the nasty Joja first batches." You made a face and Robin laughed, you noticed that Sebastian lowered his shoulders a bit and continued to eat.</p><p>"In any case, we're glad you made your way here." Robin said. "Now Maru, Demetrius, no more science talk at the table. You know I don't understand much of it!"</p><p>Demetrius chuckled. "Ah, okay."</p><p>As the dinner went on, Sebastian stayed quiet. You kept chatting with his family, hoping that he at least knew that you were on his side.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoy my small contribution to the community! This is my first fic I've written since my early high school Wattpad days, and I'm a bit nervous getting back into this stuff. If you have any ideas or constructive criticism, please drop a comment! I'm open to suggestions.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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